so he is saying, ok, by the end of this year, to get a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff, let rates go up for top earners. and then i'm willing to be flexible and revisit the changes to medicare and social security. and also i'm willing to bring those rates back down to somewhere in between the 35% where they are now and the 39.6% that that they would go up to. >> is the feeling in the white house, sure, we'll do that because republicans will get the blame? the pugh survey came out indicating who would get the blame if you do go over the cliff. squarely against the republicans. they would more likely get the blame. that's what you heard as bob pointed out from senator durbin as well, that they would own the recession that would follow. >> i don't know how that ends up playing out. but i think when you talk about the feeling at the white house, there's a palpable difference now compared to 2011, the summer of 2011. they are so much cockier right now at the white house than they were a year and a half ago when they were doing this. they really believe they have set out, we're not going to n